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Quiz about Plays and Dramatists of the English Renaissance
Quiz about Plays and Dramatists of the English Renaissance

Plays and Dramatists of the English Renaissance Quiz

The English Renaissance produced many talented and popular dramatists in addition to Shakespeare. How many do you recognize?

A multiple-choice quiz by lowtechmaster. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
lowtechmaster
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
376,017
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
493
Last 3 plays: Guest 1 (3/10), Guest 81 (8/10), GoodVibe (4/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. This dramatist wrote "The Spanish Tragedy" (1582-92) and attended the Merchant Taylors' School at the same time as Edmund Spenser and Thomas Lodge. He may have written the lost "Ur-Hamlet". [He did not kid around.] Hint


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Question 2 of 10
2. This dramatist, born in 1564 (the same year as Shakespeare), was reputed to be a spy for the government and was stabbed to death in a tavern by Ingram Frizer in 1593. Among his works was "Edward II", a major drama echoed in Shakespeare's "Richard II". Which of these men was it? Hint


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Question 3 of 10
3. This dramatist and poet may be more famous for his verse translations of Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey" than for his plays. [John Keats would agree.] Hint


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Question 4 of 10
4. "The Knight of the Burning Pestle", by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, is a parody of which two plays? [Forget King Arthur.] Hint


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Question 5 of 10
5. Robert Greene (c.1558-1592) is generally credited with writing both the pamphlet "A Groatsworth of Wit" that is critical of Shakespeare, and the dramatic comedy "Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay".


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Question 6 of 10
6. Shakespeare acted in some plays written by this dramatist/poet, who wrote about Shakespeare both that he was the "Soul of the age," and that "The players have often mentioned it as an honor to Shakespeare that in his writing...he never blotted a line. My answer hath been, 'Would he had blotted a thousand'." Hint


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Question 7 of 10
7. Who wrote "The White Devil" and "The Devil's Law Case"? [The spider knows.] Hint


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Question 8 of 10
8. This prolific playwright was one of the top dramatists of the English Renaissance. One of his best known original works is "A Chaste Maid in Cheapside" (c.1613). He is usually named as the writer who assisted with or added to Shakespeare's "All's Well That Ends Well," "Macbeth," and "Measure for Measure." [Think "Malcolm in the ...".] Hint


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Question 9 of 10
9. Thomas Middleton has recently been generally acknowledged as the sole author of "The Revenger's Tragedy" (c.1606). Which dramatist was originally thought to have written that play? [Turn around!] Hint


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Question 10 of 10
10. This author of "The Wild Goose Chase" is acknowledged as an equal collaborator with Shakespeare on "The Two Noble Kinsmen". [Think "arrow maker."] Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Nov 20 2024 : Guest 1: 3/10
Nov 20 2024 : Guest 81: 8/10
Nov 19 2024 : GoodVibe: 4/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. This dramatist wrote "The Spanish Tragedy" (1582-92) and attended the Merchant Taylors' School at the same time as Edmund Spenser and Thomas Lodge. He may have written the lost "Ur-Hamlet". [He did not kid around.]

Answer: Thomas Kyd

 Kyd, who lived from 1558-1594, is generally credited with popularizing the "revenge tragedy" genre in England. "The Ur-Hamlet" and "The Spanish Tragedy" (which includes a play-within-a-play) are considered to have influenced Shakespeare's "Hamlet". He is also credited with being a more-than-equal collaborator with Shakespeare on the play "Edward III" (published anonymously in 1596).
2. This dramatist, born in 1564 (the same year as Shakespeare), was reputed to be a spy for the government and was stabbed to death in a tavern by Ingram Frizer in 1593. Among his works was "Edward II", a major drama echoed in Shakespeare's "Richard II". Which of these men was it?

Answer: Christopher Marlowe

 Marlowe died at the age of 29 (Shakespeare died at 52). His major dramas include "Tamburlaine the Great" (c.1587), "The Jew of Malta" (c. 1592...a precursor to Shylock in "Merchant of Venice"), and "Doctor Faustus" (c.1592...probably his most famous drama).
3. This dramatist and poet may be more famous for his verse translations of Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey" than for his plays. [John Keats would agree.]

Answer: George Chapman

 Keats' sonnet "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer" lauds the poetic quality of Chapman's translations. Chapman's best known dramas are "Bussy D'Ambois" (1607), and "The Revenge of Bussey D'Ambois" (1613).
4. "The Knight of the Burning Pestle", by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, is a parody of which two plays? [Forget King Arthur.]

Answer: "The Shoemaker's Holiday" and "The Four Apprentices of London"

 Beaumont and Fletcher considered "The Shoemaker's Holiday" (c.1599 by Thomas Dekker)) and "The Four Apprentices of London" (c.1600 by Thomas Heywood) inferior "middle-class" plays that pandered to the tastes of the masses. To help drive their point home, the authors had the play staged by a group of boy actors. [Galahad and Lancelot were two of King Arthur's knights.]
5. Robert Greene (c.1558-1592) is generally credited with writing both the pamphlet "A Groatsworth of Wit" that is critical of Shakespeare, and the dramatic comedy "Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay".

Answer: True

Greene states, "...for there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tygers hart wrapt in a Players hyde, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blanke verse as the best of you: and being an absolute Johannes fac totum, is in his owne conceit the onely Shake-scene in a countrey."
6. Shakespeare acted in some plays written by this dramatist/poet, who wrote about Shakespeare both that he was the "Soul of the age," and that "The players have often mentioned it as an honor to Shakespeare that in his writing...he never blotted a line. My answer hath been, 'Would he had blotted a thousand'."

Answer: Ben Jonson

 Ben Jonson's compliment came in his poetic tribute to Shakespeare published in 1623 in the "First Folio." The other remark was published in "Timber" in 1640. Jonson was known for such satirical dramas as "Volpone" and "The Alchemist".
7. Who wrote "The White Devil" and "The Devil's Law Case"? [The spider knows.]

Answer: John Webster

 Webster wrote "The White Devil" c. 1612, and "The Devil's Law Case" c. 1618. In between, he wrote his most famous play, "The Duchess of Malfi" c.1614. [I am deeply indebted to Webster, because I wrote my doctoral dissertation on "The John
Webster Plays."]
8. This prolific playwright was one of the top dramatists of the English Renaissance. One of his best known original works is "A Chaste Maid in Cheapside" (c.1613). He is usually named as the writer who assisted with or added to Shakespeare's "All's Well That Ends Well," "Macbeth," and "Measure for Measure." [Think "Malcolm in the ...".]

Answer: Thomas Middleton

 Middleton's other plays include "A Trick to Catch the Old One" (c.1605) and "Michaelmas Term" (1604). He is also generally believed to have collaborated with Shakespeare on "Timon of Athens". ["Malcolm in the Middle" was a popular television show.]
9. Thomas Middleton has recently been generally acknowledged as the sole author of "The Revenger's Tragedy" (c.1606). Which dramatist was originally thought to have written that play? [Turn around!]

Answer: Cyril Tourneur

 Tourneur (d. 1626) was generally given credit for "The Revenger's Tragedy" for over three centuries. He is, however, still listed as the author of "The Atheist's Tragedy" (1611).
10. This author of "The Wild Goose Chase" is acknowledged as an equal collaborator with Shakespeare on "The Two Noble Kinsmen". [Think "arrow maker."]

Answer: John Fletcher

 He is also accepted as a collaborator with Shakespeare on "Henry VIII" and "Cardenio" (a lost play). [A "fletcher" made arrows.]
Source: Author lowtechmaster

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series Shakespeare And Friends:

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  1. And the Speaker Is....? Part I Average
  2. And the Speaker Is....? Part II Average
  3. And the Speaker Is....? Part III Average
  4. He Said...She Said Average
  5. Plays and Dramatists of the English Renaissance Average

Referenced Topics
Television   Literature   English   Government   Shakespeare   England   Spanish Language   English People   Plays   London   Homer   Hamlet   Poets   Macbeth   Henry VIII   Merchant of Venice   White   Richard II   Christopher Marlowe   Measure for Measure  

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